Classified
by kira66
Summary: Just a bit of sibling bonding between Charlie and Don.


"I got a job offer today." Professor Charles Eppes told his brother as he dug around inside the Chinese take-out box.

"Really?" Agent Don Eppes looked up from his own take-out box. "Another university?"

Charlie shook his head sending his curls scattering about his head. "Nope." He popped a won-ton into his mouth and chewed.

Don blinked and sat his container onto the dining room table. "Another agency?" He asked, uncertain. It wasn't unheard of for other agency's to ask for Charlie's help but he wasn't aware of any offering the young Professor a full-time paycheck.

"It's classified." Charlie said with a straight face then laughed at the moody look his brother shot him. He held up his hands in surrender. "It's so classified that I had to actually sign a paper from the President of the United States."

"Weird." Don didn't like secret government agencies, the ones that only a select few knew existed but there was no proof of their existence. "Turned them down?" It wasn't really a question.

Charlie tilted his head to the side, a smile lighting up his youthful face. "Yup. Told them the FBI couldn't live without my help."

Don rolled his eyes but the smile on his face gave him away. "Good." He picked his container back up and peered inside. "Who's idea was it to have leftovers?"

Shrugging, Charlie continued to eat his won-tons. "Mine, I think." He stopped mid-chew, thinking, then swallowed. "Yup, it was my idea. I said since dad was going out with Millie tonight that there was no point in cooking anything."

"Could be worse, I guess." Don grumbled but continued picking through his Chinese. "So, classified, huh? Didn't want to be a superhero?" He asked around a mouthful of lo mein noodles.

Charlie finished his won-ton's and sat the empty take-out container onto the table, pushing it away from him. "Who needs to be a super hero when we do what we do?" He stood and grabbed the empty carton then disappeared into the kitchen.

Don looked up from his meal as his brother entered the kitchen. "Do what we do?" He asked the empty room then smiled, affectionately. "Who needs men in bright colored tights with superpowers when the world is full of FBI Agents and Math Professors who consult?"

"My point, exactly." Charlie said as he reentered the dining room with two bowls of ice cream. "Who needs all that flash when we have real life?" He sat a bowl down in front of his brother and took the other bowl for himself. "Besides, Colorado is way too cold for me."

"Colorado? What's Colorado have to do with anything?" Don asked as he pushed sat down his carton and pushed it out of the way before attacking his bowl of ice cream.

Charlie grinned, his spoon hovering in mid-air in front of his mouth. "Sorry Don, that's classified."

Don snorted, throwing his napkin, that had been resting on his leg, at his brother. "I'll give you classified..._and_...a head start."

Thinking about his brothers words, Charlie's spoon dropped into his bowl with a clatter as he bolted from the room.

Taking a moment to finish his desert, Don stood and chased after his brother.

Three hours later when Alan Eppes came home, he found two bowls on the dining room table. One was empty and the other was melted. "Hello?" He called out finding it odd that neither of his sons was present. They both had been home when he left for dinner and a movie with Millie. "Boys?" He walked towards the garage and stopped just before steeping inside. "Well, would you look at that?" He mumbled under his breath. Both Don and Charlie were asleep. Don was sprawled out on the floor with what looked like a bunch of his old baseball stats piled around him. And Charlie was slumped on the old couch he had saved from being thrown out a number of years ago. Instead of waking them, Alan turned and entered the house. He cleared the dishes from the table then turned in for the night all the while being unaware of the bonding that had taken place, because of a conversation on classified job offers, just hours before.


End file.
